Monday, November 7, 2011

Good & Bad from the Seahawk Game

Rather than just a recap of the game I thought I would try something a little different this time. I know there were a lot of things to dislike about the game yesterday, but there were also a lot of things to like. Let's take a look at things that should give up hope and things that should make us worry.

The Good: DeMarco Murray is starting to look like the real deal. It is now three straight weeks that Murray has looked like a legitimate starting running back. It will be interesting to see how many touches Felix Jones gets when he gets healthy. Hopefully Garrett will keep Murray as the starter and use Felix as the change up.

The Bad: The running game still isn't punching the ball into the end zone from close range. I don't know if Jason Garrett just doesn't trust the offensive line, but the Cowboys didn't make much of an effort to power the ball into the end zone from close range. Until they start running the ball in they red zone offense will continue to struggle.

The Good: Tony Romo didn't turn the ball over at all. By protecting the ball the Seahawks were always forced to drive the length of the field to score. That helps the defense prevent touchdowns more than any scheme Rob Ryan can draw up.

The Bad: Tony Romo is still playing too safe. It feels like Romo is still gun shy after what happened in the Detroit game a few weeks back. Romo is definitely protecting the ball but he seems to be lacking what makes him great right now. Romo is at his best when he is in gunslinger mode. He is a very average quarterback when he plays the bus driver role.

The Good: Dan Bailey continues to nail his field goals right down the middle. He is having the best season by a Cowboys kicker since Nick Folk's rookie season.

The Bad: The return game for the Cowboys is awful. Kevin Ogletree is just a very bad kick returner. And Dez Bryant made a horrible decision to field a punt inside the Cowboys five yard line.

The Good: The defense came up with 3 turnovers. The interceptions in the second half helped turn the tide in the Cowboys favor.

The Bad: The run defense was bad again. Last week seemed like a blip on the radar when McCoy went crazy for the Eagles. But Marshawn Lynch made it back to back weeks that the run defense has struggled. Run defense is becoming a major concern.

The Good: The offense had great balance with both Romo and Murray coming up with good games.

The Bad: Jason Garrett is still struggling to find a way to get the offense in the end zone consistently. I don't know if the offensive line is just handcuffing him in critical situations, but it is frustrating to see some of the questionable calls in short yardage situations.

The Good: Anthony Spencer finally woke up. He came up with a sack and a huge blocked field goal. Now he needs to show up next week again.

The Bad: Keith Brooking was terrible starting in place of Sean Lee. Brooking is so bad it is embarrassing. It seems like he should have retired 2 years ago. He is always a step or two late, he gets run over, and he seems lost in pass coverage. Lee can't get back on the field fast enough for me.

In the end a win is a win. It wasn't pretty but the Cowboys just need to start getting on a roll before it is too late. Buffalo is coming off of an embarrassing loss and will present a tough challenge next week. If the Cowboys can win that game we might see the Cowboys make a run to 8-4 against a very soft schedule. With the Giants playing with a 2 game lead in the NFC East getting to 8-4 is going to be needed to get back in the playoff race.

2 comments:

So now you have the Cowboys being 8-4 in four weeks. Some might call you crazy but if you are then I'm jumping on board that crazy train. They should win the next four games. Incredibly soft schedule. So that means that you'll be predicting them to win the next four which means that you'll have predicted them to win the first 12 games of the season. And that's what makes their 4-4 record so disappointing. While they're not a great team, they could have a great record due to what has to be the weakest schedule in the league. I'm still sticking by my prediction that they don't make the playoffs because I know they're going to lose some of these games that they should easily win. But I would love to be proved wrong.

They will win the next four, we have to have faith that they can finally pull it together. We have made the path to the playoffs harder for ourselves and its time to rectify what could be a successful year. We are going to take these next 4 games and await the Giants for a battle for the NFC east....